Ex-army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi won 96.9% of votes in Egypt’s presidential election, the electoral commission announced on Tuesday, almost a year after he overthrew elected Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi.

Turnout in last week’s election, hastily extended to three days amid fears of low turnout, was 47.45%, said commission Chief Anwar Rashad al-Asi.
Sisi’s rival Hamdeen Sabbahi won just 3% of the vote, excluding spoiled ballots.

Sisi’s lopsided victory had been certain, with many lauding the retired field marshal as a hero for ending Morsi’s divise rule in July.
Yet the lower-than-expected turnout – Sisi himself had called for much more voters to come out – signalled that a wide segment of the population was apathetic or boycotted the election.

Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, crushed by a massive crackdown following his overthrow and detention, had boycotted the vote.
Some journalists and government employees erupted in applause and began dancing as the final results were announced at a press conference on Tuesday. – AFP